


"Please"

by bisexualreina



Category: The X files
Genre: Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Emily Lives, F/M, Family Fluff, Flu, domestic dana scully, family stuff, mother dana scully
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:34:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27614915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisexualreina/pseuds/bisexualreina
Summary: Emily has requests while being stuck at home with the flu on Christmas Eve. Family drabble.
Relationships: Fox Mulder & Dana Scully, Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Kudos: 50





	"Please"

A fever. A whole one hundred degree fever ran angrily through Emily’s forehead, causing the young girl to groggily cry while tucked into the cushion of the sofa, a warm blanket covering her lap while she sat in her loose Christmas pajamas. Scully had called her mother to sadly inform the family that their first Christmas Eve together would be spent at home while Emily battled her cold. Dana knew flu season was slamming the city, and school was the worst place to catch anything, every toy and item just covered in drool, dirt, boogers, and just a layer of all things sticky.

Dana had been careful, making sure that Emily was washing her hands upon returning from pre-school, not sticking fingers in her mouth, and getting a bath promptly every night to wash away the grime of the day. She had cried for a bit over not being able to attend her grandmother’s, her excitement over finally meeting the baby that had been born slightly after her adoption to her Uncle Bill and Aunt Tara something she had been looking forward to, but in the moment she was too sick to even care.

Scully watched sadly as she stirred the canned soup that she had poured into the saucepan, feeling defeated that this was the holiday cheer that she was giving her daughter following one of the most confusing transitions of her life. She had envisioned gatherings with family, Christmas carols being sung, sticky smiles while digging through the caramel apples that her mother made every year for both the kids and adults to enjoy. Yet there they were, cooped up inside with the tree twinkling, the Muppets singing in the background to keep Emily slightly occupied while Scully got her dinner ready. 

Poor girl could barely keep water down all day, and as the sun began to set on this Christmas Eve Scully prayed that some of her appetite had returned for her to at least consume the soup and some crackers. She bit her lip and noticed the time, her watch beeping as a reminder to fill the dreaded measuring cup with the red syrup, not mentally prepared for another fight to get her four year old to drink her medicine.

Scully just inhaled patiently and wandered around the sofa, taking a centering breath before sitting beside her whimpering daughter, placing the back of her hand onto her forehead to check for a fever, her skin still burning up. The thought of Emily catching anything always had the ability to send Scully into a spiral of worries, even with her remission from her previous ailment, she hated seeing her so sick and lethargic like before.

“Alright baby, I know you don’t like it but it’s time to take this again.” Scully breathed, setting the bowl of soup and water on the coffee table. Upon seeing the small cup the toddler began to whimper, but nothing like her screams that had ensued earlier in the day, giving Scully hope. She carefully began to tilt the thick syrup into her mouth, cupping her hand under her tiny chin just in case. For a moment it seemed calm, but then a startled look began to spread across the young girl’s face, prompting a gag and a spray of drool and medicine to be spit all over Scully’s blouse. She flinched at the spray and jumped to catch the rest in her hands, but she had gotten the majority out and onto her mother, leaving her quivering with threatening tears.

“Em, I know you don’t like it, but mama needs you to take it, please.” Scully all but begged, her voice wavering more than she had intended, tiredly getting up from the couch to measure another serving. She had recalled a tactic seen at her mother’s house by her cousin who had struggled with her godson, and she was willing to try anything at this point. The young woman just brushed her hair back and pulled the refrigerator open and grabbed the chocolate syrup from the door, squirting a huge glob of it into the cup and stirring it.

“Okay, Em, this isn’t medicine, it’s just chocolate.” Scully breathed, offering it to her daughter who perked up at the mention of candy, eagerly taking the cup into her chubby hands and consuming it without taking a breath. Scully watched intensely, praying that she kept it down at least for her to get some soup into her.

“Is Fox coming?” She chirped quietly as Scully blew on the soup, setting a tray in her lap before setting the mug on top, keeping a careful hand on it to prevent her from spilling. 

“I don’t think so, honey. Fox has his own plans on Christmas.” Scully replied sadly, her daughter’s preference for his first name always sitting weirdly on her tongue as she referred to him as such. Emily had grown close to her mother’s work friend, enjoying when he would visit, always with a new trinket or toy that he would find on the street corners or shops, never coming empty handed for Emily. Scully found herself smiling in the year that the three had spent together, how he would lift the small girl onto his shoulder, zooming her around the small apartment, causing her to burst into fits of giggles and excited screams. 

She wanted to curse his name at the moment, after all of the lead up of the holidays, Emily had been so incredibly excited for Santa Claus at her grandmother’s house, and Mulder’s stories of Good Ole Saint Nick didn’t help the situation that they found themselves in. She sighed sadly at their reality, but was silently still grateful, for each other and her daughter’s health, even though this cold was dragging them both up a hill.

“I don’t like Christmas. I don’t feel well.” Emily declared sadly, her little mind simply associating this feeling of being stuck on her sofa with a raging fever, with the most wonderful time of the year. She had been ill for both holiday seasons, and that simple fact was enough to make Scully want to burst into tears, but she couldn’t in front of her daughter, so she just held the mug in her lap and thought frantically for an answer.

“I know you don’t feel well, but Christmas isn’t always like this, normally we go and visit our family, and there is fun food, and you are able to do a few more things than we are right now.” Scully tried to encourage, spooning more of the soup into her little girl’s frowning mouth. She sighed and set it down, pulling her off of the sofa and into her lap, snuggling her close for a moment, unsure of what else to do to try and make her feel better.

“But, the most important thing to remember is that Christmas is for family, and as long as we have each other, that is what Christmas truly means.” Scully reminded, placing a finger on her daughter’s button nose as she melted back into the sofa, her tiny body curling inside the crook of her elbow, burying her head into her chest.

“Like last time?” She questioned, making Scully pause for a moment at the comment, unsure of what she was referring to, before her stomach felt like it was dropping uncontrollably.

The memory of crawling beside her sick frame in the hospital bed, holding onto her tiny hand for dear life throughout the night as she fought for her life. She refused to leave her side, standing protectively outside as the doctors rushed in to perform life saving treatments on her, her eyes never leaving her daughter’s as they fought tirelessly. Her last Christmas had been shrouded with darkness, loss, illness, and legal battles, and Scully loathed that it was her memory of this time of year.

“Yeah, I will be here with you like last time, but mama is going to make sure that you’re safe and healthy, so that we don’t have to do that ever again.” Scully whispered, brushing a strand of her golden hair out of her eye, reaching down to kiss her daughter’s nose.

Before she knew it Emily was drifting off in her grip and the sound of a soft knock on the door made Scully wince and call out a soft ‘it’s open’ to whoever was on the other side. She watched as Mulder entered bashfully, a plethora of presents loaded in his arms that he silently placed under the tree. However Scully couldn’t seem to get over his outfit. 

Mulder was clad head to toe in an extravagant Santa Claus costume, his couch cushions stuffed inside the oversized suit to make him holly and jolly for the sleeping girl in Scully’s lap. She couldn’t help but chuckle and bat away a tear or two at the gesture.

“Ho ho ho I’m here for Ms. Emily Roberta Scully!” He bellowed, even pulling out a hand drawn list with her name, Scully’s, his, and even the infamous Walter Skinner who had apparently made the naughty list. No stone was left unturned when it came to Mulder and his sentiments, but sadly the little girl was slumbering comfortably in her mother’s lap.

“Aw dammit she’s asleep.” He shrugged, shoving the list back into his coat before shuffling towards the couch where Scully was perched comfortably, her feet kicked up onto the coffee table while the Muppets played in the background. “I know she’s asleep, but if you hand me my camera on the counter I can maybe snap a photo of Santa leaving presents for her to find once this gets developed.” Scully winked, making Mulder’s eyes light up as he grabbed the camera and posed himself once more, trying to look as candid as possible.

Once each photo had been taken he slowly began to peel off the layers of the costume and shove them into his large sack that Santa had carried inside, now clad in a thermal top and some jeans, settling on the sofa with his partner.

“How is the little elf doing?” He asked with some pure concern, pawing at her softly to prevent her from waking. Scully exhaled and didn’t know how to answer that, she could feel the fever going down as she held her, grateful that she was finally resting after fighting with her all day over medicine, and just general discomfort of having the flu.

“Better, but her fever will probably break later, I just need to keep an eye on her.” Scully reported tiredly, the disappointment dripping from her voice as she readjusted Emily higher onto her chest, now firmly rubbing her back to get her to relax a bit more. Mulder could notice her tension, how upset she was that this was their first traditional Christmas together and they were spending it trying to fight off the flu.

“Well, when you look back on this together she will be grateful that she had a mother who helped her get better on Christmas Eve, and got to spend such sweet time together.” Mulder pointed out, his words bringing some comfort to his partner who felt the little girl stirring at the low murmuring of their voices, glancing up at them both with as much excitement possible with a fever.

“Fox?” She croaked groggily, her tiny hand still clutching her mother’s shirt, her eyes clearing as Mulder scooted closer and raised an eyebrow sassily like he normally did upon greeting her, making her giggle.

“That’s my name don’t wear it out.” He quipped, his antics making Scully roll her eyes and smirk at him, praying that with his presence Emily wouldn’t try and play, but from the sheer weight in her arms, she could tell that she wasn’t moving. He began to hum along to the movie with animated expressions, grinning happily at the young girl who just watched in a half dazed state, fighting to stay awake.

“Oh my goodness you are a sleepy head, I don’t even think you are truly watching the best Christmas movie of all time!” Mulder exclaimed, motioning towards the movie that was playing, making Emily shake her head in defense that she was indeed present and listening, still failing. 

“Fox is right, I think it’s time to go to sleep if you want Santa to come.” Scully pointed out, but Emily shook her head stubbornly, wanting to spend more time with Fox, hoping that she could possibly get a shoulder zoom in through the apartment if she stayed awake long enough.

“Can I stay awake with you and Fox, mama?” She cried, her little voice making Scully’s mouth turn into a smirk, her partner’s pout rubbing off on her as she requested something, but she just shook her head at her. “No way, Jose. We have to get you to bed so you can feel better tomorrow.” Scully explained, but the little girl just blinked up at her and pressed her cheek against the exposed skin of her mother’s collar bones, cooling her flushed face.

“Can Fox tell me a bedtime story?” She cried, her wide eyes looking up, mirroring her mother’s that would always enlarge in such a way that she managed to get what she was requesting. Her little face scrunched at her request and furrowed her brow, trying to think about what else could help her case.

“Please?” She cried, the simple tone of the word making Scully sigh tiredly and nod in agreement, glancing over at Mulder who had the same puppy dog expression on his face, not making this any easier. Upon her agreement he was scooping Emily up to allow Scully to scoot off the sofa and onto her feet, leading him into the master bedroom where she was going to keep Emily for the night to keep a close eye on her.

“You’re going to sleep with mama tonight.” Scully whispered as she pulled the covers back, allowing Mulder to slip her underneath, both of them tucking her in until her tiny frame was comfortable. Scully watched as he took his spot on the edge of the bed, clearing his throat before glancing down at her daughter, his idea formed for their story.

“Once upon a time there was a special intergalactic princess named Princess Emily…” He began, his mouth making rocket sounds and shadow puppets to entertain the little girl who just giggled and listened intently of Princess Emily’s adventures in the milky way with her favorite pet fox and doctor queen mommy. Scully couldn’t help but climb next to her daughter and lie beside her to watch her reaction, but to also make eye contact with her partner whose eyes would flick over to her twinkling ones, a glimmer of childlike excitement filling his voice as he continued his story. Scully could see Emily’s eyes growing heavier and heavier as he moved towards the part of the story where Princess Emily had to dream away her worries in order to save the galaxy, finally getting the toddler to sleep.

Scully led Mulder out silently, shutting the lamp off before closing the door behind her, grateful for his efforts to get their little one down with what seemed like such minimal effort. He grinned proudly and placed his hands on the base of her shoulders, rubbing the tired knots out as she began to melt into putty under his touch.

“You’re doing fine, Scully. The flu is hard even with adults.” Mulder reminded, making Scully sniffle back a tear before bursting into a fit of them, the stress and exhaustion of the day finally catching up with her as her fingers traced the stains of spit and medicine on her shirt. Mulder just tilted her chin up before cupping her jaw, the dangling plant hanging from the ceiling above their heads making him smirk and brush her tears away.

“I can get it all ready while you sleep, you feel like you need a nap.” Mulder offered, but Scully shook her head gratefully, all of her wrapping done and packed away for her to set out in the morning, a moment that she had been looking forward to.

“I’m okay, thank you though, really.” She whispered, reaching onto her toes to slowly press a kiss into his lips, her hands softly crossing behind his neck, the kiss soft and tender as he reached down to hug her waist. Both of them pulled away and just stared at each other under the glow of the tree, recalling the similar conversation they had the year prior in her brother’s home.

“You can stay over, or come back tomorrow. I know Emily will want you here for Christmas.” Scully winked, making Mulder raise an eyebrow at her and place his hands on his hips in fake exasperation.

“Just Emily, hmm?” He prodded, making Scully roll her eyes at him and groan, thinking back to the tactic that her daughter had used just minutes ago on him that had worked like an absolute charm.

“Please?” She imitated, making him chuckle at the attempt and nod at her, wandering towards the hall closet where the spare blankets sat, digging them out before plopping himself onto the sofa to sleep on.

“Well, goodnight doctor queen mommy.” He called softly, making Scully roll her eyes at him for the last time that night, deep down cherishing the small family that Scully had created, the both of them her most cherished Christmas present, fever, flu, and all.


End file.
